


One Last Night

by lovelyairi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Inspired by Coraline, M/M, Mysterious, Slight Daejae, Smut, TopSoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2018-12-19 01:38:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11887197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyairi/pseuds/lovelyairi
Summary: There was something unsettling about the other apartmentBut Kyungsoo was there





	1. Bridges [Prologue]

When Jongin found himself an affordable home at a decent price, he definitely wasn’t expecting this. Sure, the photo on the internet had showcased a lovely pink painted home dubbed the Pink Palace, which was a large house split into 3. But he didn’t expect it to be falling apart.

Considering he wasn’t bringing many things with him and was more so expecting to buy furniture from the town down the street, he drove himself. Maybe he should’ve taken the small fact about it being 150 years old seriously.

With a small sigh hiding behind his lips Jongin stares at the large house. It was the best deal he was going to get to be honest. He didn’t really wish for more, only a roof over his head and decent space for him to set up a small dance studio.

“Kim Jongin right?” Jongin turns to his left with the appearance of an unfamiliar voice and he is confused to see a face covered by a camera. He blinks stupidly at the moving lens and he sees another male beside the other.

“This is our new neighbor everyone! He’s attractive isn’t he? Now we’re going to get to know him a little so we’ll see you later when Daehyun shows you his recipe for cheesecake waffles.” the slightly shorter one says to the camera with a wave and it’s off. Jongin continues to blink and the two turn to look at him.

He can easily note that these two are very good looking. The shorter one has beautifully pale skin and very pink lips, his hair is a dark brown and it lays on his forehead in a mushroom type shape. The slightly taller one however is tanned and he has thick lips, his build is more muscular and his hair is wavy, dyed a dirty blonde.

“If you don’t want to be in the video it’s okay, we can just edit it out. Sorry for that, we were vlogging about the squirrel nest out back and saw you. I’m Jung Daehyun and this is my boyfriend Yoo Youngjae.” Daehyun says with a smile and Jongin nods his head.

“Umm, are you some kind of YouTubers? I don’t mind being in the video, although I’d like a heads up next time. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Kim Jongin and I’ll be moving into the middle suite?” Jongin’s tone is unsure as he peers at the faded engraving on the key between his fingertips.

“We just call them apartments, old lady Byun likes to call them suites but it only makes them sound fancy. And yes we are YouTubers, you’ll mostly find vlogs and song covers or if you venture really deep you’ll find our RedTube account.” Youngjae says in a blur and Jongin coughs at the last bit.

“I like him, he’s innocent.” Youngjae laughs happily and Jongin frowns at what sounds like an insult in his ears. Daehyun only smiles and he shrugs, they both step forward and Jongin watches them warily.

“You seem to have packed light, want us to show you around the place?” Daehyun asks and Jongin already feels more comfortable around him as supposed to his grinning boyfriend. Jongin nods and he looks at the luggages and boxes in his car.

“I was going to shop for the other stuff in town. Could you help me bring these in? And a house tour would be really helpful to be honest.” Jongin requests and Daehyun seems pleased with honesty. He’d rather get along with his neighbours, they were all in the same house after all.

“You seem more like you’re taking a vacation than moving in.” Youngjae exclaims as he picks up a box that is topped off with a smaller one. Daehyun on the other hand holds a medium sized box with one hand and pulls along a large luggage with the other. Jongin himself grabs his last luggage and locks his car.

“I didn’t have a lot of things to begin with.” he answers and the couple don’t seem to pry which he appreciates. Jongin sighs when he hears the clack of the wheels dragging across the cobblestone and he hopes they don’t get scratched too badly. The three carry the things up the 3 steps and Jongin unlocks the door before they settle the things inside.

“We’ll let you discover your apartment on your own. You’ve got the biggest part.” Youngjae explains and Jongin gingerly looks around the doorway once before following the two back outside. He locks his front door and pockets his key before he heads to his left where Youngjae and Daehyun have gone.

“This is our apartment. You can find the numbers of all the apartments as well as old lady Byun’s beside your phone. We can exchange cell phone numbers later on if you want to.” Jongin sees a descending staircase that leads to a door, the mailbox is on the upper railing and he can see a doormat at the very bottom.

“There’s also a huge garden outback, nothing’s been done with it in years though. Old lady Byun’s too old and we can’t be bothered.” Youngjae says as they follow the cobblestone path towards a large black fence, it reminds him of those olden day gates to cemeteries to be honest.

The garden is indeed… dead. The soil is all dried up and only dead plants sprout from them, there’s a bridge that leads over what Jongin assumes is a make shift pond but of course it’s all dried up. The pathway continues past the garden and he can see another gate.

“Where does that lead?” Jongin asks as he gestures towards it, Daehyun and Youngjae both follow his hand and he can see the way that Daehyun’s face changes. He turns away and walks off to another area of the garden while Youngjae approaches Jongin.

“The pathway continues on through small hills and trees. It leads to an old well on top of a hill, it’s a nice walk to clear your mind. Daehyun doesn’t like the mention of the well so don’t be offended about his reaction okay? Maybe he’ll tell you about it one day.” Youngjae’s voice drops into a low and calm tone as he speaks and Jongin glances at Daehyun who is shifting on his feet.

“I see…” he can’t deny that he’s curious about it, but Daehyun definitely seems like the sensitive type. Jongin didn’t really want to get on his bad side.

 

“Sehun-ah!” Jongin looks at the person standing beside his car, they’re currently returning from the garden and although the awkward silence wasn’t appreciated he was glad to see another person. However, this person was a little odd.

He was tall and lanky, he seemed only a little taller than Jongin was. But that wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the two hats on his head. He seemed to be wearing a snapback backwards with a fedora perched on top. His clothing otherwise was quite normal, although a little formal to be casual.

“I’m guessing you’re the new neighbour?” his tone is dull and his expression seems quite arrogant. Jongin purses his lips and he simply hums at the question asked, wondering how he should introduce himself.

“Kim Jongin.” he states and Sehun nods in acknowledgement, it makes Jongin feel a little offended. As though he didn’t live up to whatever expectations Sehun seemed to have. He watched as Sehun held out his hand,

“Oh Sehun, I live upstairs with my daughter, Yixing. I am currently working on my own fashion line.” Sehun introduces and Jongin can’t help but let his jaw drop. Sehun didn’t seem a day older than he was, yet he already had a daughter? And judging by how the child wasn’t present, she was probably old enough to be on her own for a little bit.

He didn’t want to pry on the man’s fashion line, just in case he pressed the wrong button.

“I’m 25 years old and I got my girlfriend pregnant during prom.” Sehun narrows his eyes and Jongin feels guilty but he nods nonetheless. Youngjae and Daehyun are doing absolutely nothing for the situation and he feels betrayed by the couple.

“Yixing is a sweet little thing. Sehun’s wife lives in the town, has a fancy office job. She comes back on weekends, but I believe Yixing wanted to go dress shopping?” Youngjae steps forward and he begins to walk with Sehun who explains the situation for the weekend. Jongin wants to listen in but he feels Daehyun tap his wrist.

“Yixing is actually a boy. But he identifies as a girl, Sehun gets really defensive about his daughter so try not to be so obvious. Luhan is a wild one, she’ll like teasing you.” Daehyun informs him and Jongin feels dizzy with all of the reminders and little things. He only had 5 people to live with and they were already tiring him out.

“Now, you should settle in a little. Come on down for dinner, we’ve got you covered. Moves can be tiring. 7pm sharp okay?” Youngjae has a really pretty smile Jongin notes, he can see how much Daehyun loves him because of the star struck look he gets on his face. Jongin feels envious.

“I’ll skip out on tonight hyung, Luhan wants me to meet them in town for dinner.” Sehun smiles and Youngjae waves him off with a laugh. The neighbours all part into their respective homes and Jongin takes a deep breath before he removes his shoes at the front door. He’ll have to get a shoe rack or something.

Jongin checks his phone and he sees that it’s currently 5pm, he had a lot of time before he had to be at Daehyun and Youngjae’s. He didn’t bother unpacking just yet since he didn’t have that much to begin with. Instead he decided to explore his part of the house.

The front door opened to a small hallway, as Jongin walked down it he saw a staircase leading to an upper floor to his right. He wondered where Sehun’s home was then, the house as a whole seemed so complicated. He continued forward and was met with a small room with a fireplace.

To the right he saw the living room and when he entered, to his right again was the kitchen. The kitchen had a door leading out to the garden that he hadn’t noticed before. The place was quite large, larger than he’d been expecting. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Sehun to live here with his family? Or even Youngjae and Daehyun?

When Jongin reentered the room with the fireplace he realized there was something odd behind the wallpaper. He furrowed his brows and cautiously approached it, eyes squinting at the outline of a small door behind the worn paper. He gently traced it with his fingertips and he felt shivers run through his body.

Jongin shook his head and he went to the kitchen, he searched around for some kind of key and he was rewarded with a drawer full of miscellaneous keys and small locks. He fished around and cried out when his finger was pricked. He noticed the pad of his finger bleeding and he sighed before finding the offending thing that hurt him.

It was a key. Much different from the others in shape and size. It was a long key and it was a dark rusty red colour, it was perfectly clean however so Jongin wasn’t too afraid of tetanus or anything. He simply kept his finger elevated and out of the way until he could get some proper care on it.

Jongin padded back to the small door and he dropped to his knees, he took a deep breath before cutting through the creases outlining the door, dust particles attacked his face and he coughed before he stuck the key in the keyhole. Without thinking twice he unlocked the door and pulled it open.

And he was met with bricks.

Jongin couldn’t help but laugh, what was he expecting? Some kind of fantasy world? He laughed to himself and tossed the key on the fireplace, kicking it shut before he decided to look upstairs. The walls could be lined with paintings he thought, it’d make the dull red paper look more lively.

As he reached the top he could see 3 rooms. Turning left, he found a master bedroom which would most likely be his own and the door nearby was a bathroom. Jongin went to the other side and saw a normal sized room, which would be perfect for his dance studio he thought. Truth be told, Jongin was going to be a dance teacher at the local academy.

He definitely did not want to use his home as a studio for the students but he’d love to do his own personal work at home rather than staying at the school for late times. He didn’t want to be there any longer than the kids did. Pulling his phone from his pocket he returned the texts to his mother and sisters promising that he’d call tomorrow.

Jongin ignored the missed call and he shoved his phone into his sweater pocket. It was 7pm.

 

Dinner with Youngjae and Daehyun was quite delightful. Their home was very warm and cozy but it was also neat. It was definitely much smaller than Jongin’s that was for sure. Their home consisted of a large living room, a small kitchen to the right as well as the washing machines in the corner. The bedrooms were on the right along with the bathroom and closet.

Daehyun was the cook according to Youngjae, who cackled at the prospect of him possibly cooking anything more than cereal. Dinner was a warm kimchi jigae with pieces of tofu strewn through it, the taste was explosive on his tongue and he was shocked to hear that Daehyun made his own kimchi. With a small smile he promised to give Jongin some.

Jongin also learned that Daehyun and Youngjae were his coworkers. While Jongin was the new dance teacher, Daehyun was the drama teacher and Youngjae was the music teacher. They pretty much made up the art department, since Daehyun also doubled as the art teacher. He’s told the kids are a wonder and it’s a little solemn but he’ll get used to it.

“Thank you very much for dinner hyung. It was delicious.” Jongin grins with a container of homemade kimchi in his hands. He stands in front of their door with his feet planted on the mat. Youngjae pats him on the shoulder,

“You’re very welcome. Welcome to the neighbourhood, we might be strange but we’ve hurt nobody.” Youngjae laughs loudly and Jongin rolls his eyes playfully, Daehyun however seems a little absent minded but he smiles when Jongin’s expression grows concerned.

“It’s been a long day so get some rest. The stores in town open at 10am sharp.” Daehyun says to him and Jongin thanks them once more. The three exchange waves and Jongin proceeds to make his way up the stairs. He feels a little foolish but he runs straight to his house, he locks the door behind him and puts the kimchi in the fridge.

Jongin makes his way to his bedroom and he really can’t be bothered to anything else right now. So he throws himself onto the dingy mattress lined with flat pillows and a thin duvet. He yawns and curls up trying to seek warmth.

Jongin frowns when he hears the sound of music coming from downstairs. He shakes his head at the thought of Daehyun and Youngjae doing some kind of late night vlogging and he reminds himself to talk to them about it tomorrow.

That night although unaware of it, he’s soothed to sleep by the sound of deep and velvety vocals.

 

Bridges - Broods


	2. Hello/How Are You?

The next morning Jongin wakes up feeling disoriented, his lips feel swollen and his lids are heavy with a dreamless night. He opens his eyes slowly and he's met with the broken plaster on the ceiling above his head, he grunts and makes a mental reminder to get that fixed at some point.

His body feels sluggish and despite getting a healthy amount of sleep he felt like he hadn't slept a wink. He stretches and feels his worn bones creaking uncomfortably as a result of a long night spent on a dingy mattress.

The music last night had been unsettling to say in the least, it was strange... hearing a melody through an empty home. He began to wonder how thin the walls were, because if the music wasn't coming from downstairs then it must've been from upstairs?

With uncoordinated fingers he pries open his suitcase for his bag of toiletries, a towel and some clothes. He cradles everything in his arms and sets off to find the washroom. The cold wooden floors make his toes curl as he pads around the hallway, prying open doors because his memory is failing him.

Jongin enters the washroom after a minute or so of searching about and he settles his things on the counter. He hangs up the towel on a small hook on the wall before heading towards the shower, he'll need to buy a new shower curtain and a shower mat. Because even though it wasn't recommended he liked to dance in the shower.

He decides that he'll wash his face and brush his teeth in the shower so he settles his things in a cup before placing it on the rack beneath the shower head. Jongin removes his clothing and he turns on the shower before sticking his arm under the freezing water.

He jolts and instantly dives down to turn the nozzle towards the hot water and it takes a few seconds to warm up. Jongin finally steps into the shower and he closes the curtain behind him before he lets the hot water pour over his face.

With a sigh of relief his hands push his hair back and he groans at the relaxing effect scalding water has on him. He goes with a quick wash because he's planning to head into town anyways and he could always shower again before bed.

Jongin washes his hair, then his face, then he brushes his teeth and he finishes off with a body scrub. He uses his foot to turn off the shower and his eyes are closed as he blindly feels for the towel he'd hooked up earlier.

He dries his body off lazily and throws on a pair of joggers since skinny jeans would be too uncomfortable on his dampened skin followed by a t shirt and a large hoodie to go over it. Jongin scrubs his hair with the towel as he walks back to his room and he fishes around his suitcase for his glasses.

He then grabs his wallet and slips on some socks before he heads downstairs. Jongin glances at the kitchen and debates with whether he wants to make himself breakfast but he remembers he has no groceries.

Jongin looks around the house and pictures what kind of furniture he'd like in it, since he was the only one living there he didn't want to go overboard but he did want to have a comfortable place to call home. 

For now he decides he'll need a new mattress and bed frame, along with a coffee table and a couple of couches. Maybe a bean bag since he really wants one to lounge around in. 

He'll definitely need a desk as well for marking and such, he doubts the academy will allow a whole curiculum without any kind of paper work. Jongin notes down everything on his phone, not forgetting to add a shower curtain and mat as well as new bedsheets and a duvet.

He pockets his phone after what he feels is a sufficient list for now and he spots an old looking telephone sitting on a round table in the living room. The phone has a rotary dial and he scoffs at the sight, he then notices a small note by it.

 

_Welcome to the Pink Palace apartments!_

_Old Lady Byun (only call her for emergency emergencies, like broken faucets or mold or something) xxx-xxx-xxxx_

_Jung Daehyun and Yoo Youngjae (downstairs) xxx-xxx-xxx_

_Oh Sehun (upstairs, he's barely home so you're better off calling the two downstairs) xxx-xxx-xxxx_

 

Jongin smiles and he knows for sure Youngjae was the one who wrote the note. He doesn't hesitate to dial downstairs and the phone gives him trouble for the first few numbers but he gets the hang of it soon enough, he places the chunky phone against his ear and waits.

" _Hello, Jongin_?" Youngjae's voice is chipper even on the phone and Jongin doesn't want to know how early he wakes up. He lets his fingers tap at the small wooden table before he answers.

"Good morning Youngjae, I was just wondering if you could give me some quick directions to town? I passed by yesterday but I was too busy following the GPS." he chuckles and Youngjae hums in thought,

" _Exit the apartments and follow the road, you'll make it to town in no time! Turn right for the grocery store, and anything food related really. Alcohol, bakeries that stuff and left are the furniture and clothing type shops. If you follow the road down the right pass the bakery you'll see the academy_." Youngjae explains and Jongin nods along.

" _You're okay with going into town alone right? Want us to come with_?" Jongin lets his fingernails tap an uneven tune on the table top and hums before shaking his head.

"I'll be okay on my own, thanks. I'm just going to take a look around town and buy some stuff." he answers and he can hear Daehyun singing in the back, Youngjae seems to turn away from the phone for a second because soon their harmonizing.

" _Okay Dae that sounds great! We'll record it like that. Okay Jongin, call if you need us okay? We should exchange cell numbers soon_." Youngjae's voice is light and friendly and Jongin grins,

"Yeah we should. Thanks Youngjae, bye." 

" _Bye Jongin, drive safe_!" and Jongin hangs up the phone. Daehyun and Youngjae really sounded good together, that tune was so different from what he'd heard last night though, he could've sworn he heard another voice?

As he's lost in his thoughts he opens the door and steps out, nonchalantly locking it before he turns and he freezes when he sees a little girl looking up at him with a gaped expression.

Jongin blinks and the child blinks back. He can see the girl is wearing a pair of denim overalls with a pink t shirt underneath, she has knee socks on as well as a pair of white sneakers and her wavy hair lays messily over her shoulders.

She stares at him with sleepy eyes and pursed lips accentuating her dimpled cheek. Jongin has no doubts that the child in front of him is Yixing and he glances around for any sight of Sehun.

Heavy footsteps to his left causes him to turn his head and he sees Sehun walking down, he's wearing something casual today. He has a blazer over top a t shirt as well as a pair of skinny jeans on paired with... flip flops.

Behind him is a petite woman with bright eyes and short hair that frames her face nicely. She's absolutely beautiful and she's wearing a white sundress as well as a pair of pink converse.

"Morning Sehun-sshi." Jongin waves awkwardly since he doesn't know whether the other wants him to be comfortable or not, they were the same age after all although he hadn't mentioned so yet.

"Morning Jongin, you can just call me by my name. This is my wife Luhan and my daughter Yixing." Sehun says in a slur and Jongin meets the woman's doe eyes, she grins up at him and she really is beautiful.

"Hello Jongin, Sehun's told me a little bit about you. How was your first night?" she bounces on the balls of her feet as she talks and from the corner of his eye he can see Yixing rushing over to his father.

"It was a little uncomfortable so I'm heading into town to buy new furniture." he says honestly and Luhan smile doesn't waver as she opens her arms without looking away, seconds later Yixing is in her arms.

"Heading into town will do you some good, there's a lot to find there. We're just heading on a walk down the orchard." Luhan squats down gracefully before she begins to fix Yixing's overall straps since they were hanging loosely off his little frame.

"Orchard?" Daehyun and Youngjae hadn't mentioned an orchard yesterday. Sehun looks at him and he tilts his head in the direction of the garden,

"The path up the hill used to be an orchard. An apple orchard I believe, the trees haven't bore fruit since we moved here." he shrugs and Jongin hums in response, nodding slowly. He'd have to take a walk up there soon, he was so curious.

"Well, we'll see you soon Jongin. Have a good time in town." Sehun nods his head and Luhan waves at him before they walk off, Yixing glances back at him a few times before flashing a small smile and he hides behind his father soon after.

"Yeah, see you." Jongin watches the family walk off and he can see the way Sehun watches Luhan with loving eyes as she listens to their daughter's enthusiastic story that he can't hear.

He makes his way towards the small car park and he sees four cars, he assumes that Luhan has her own car and doesn't think anymore of it as he unlocks his door and sits inside. 

Jongin takes a deep breath before he feels the car roar with the ignition, driving still made him nervous but he knew in a small town like this he didn't have much to worry about. He followed Youngjae's instructions and followed the road that was lined with nothing but forest and dirt.

He kept the window down, letting the fresh air circle within his car and he felt at ease. Jongin's drive to the town only took about 15 minutes and when he arrived at the traffic lights he turned left.

Seeing as how there was only one lot that was filled by six or seven cars Jongin decided to park there, the stores around weren't too far so he could easily walk around comfortably. He parks and steps out of the car before locking it.

Jongin takes a moment to look around and he feels as though he's in a movie. The town is quiet. The skies are gray despite it being early September and it feels like rain will fall at any moment.

The buildings and small shops are all aged with bricks that come in reds and browns, old cement holding them together. There are only a few cars on the road and he sees almost nobody in sight, other than the two street performers who strum their guitars for no one.

It's so different from his hometown of Suncheon and where he lived before, in Seoul. But he didn't hate it, it'd only take him a little bit to adjust... he could do it. This was his home now.

 

Jongin arrives home a few hours later with groceries in his passenger seat and bedsheets and linens sitting in the back. He'd managed to buy a bed frame and mattress, but those would take some time before they were delivered. He also had a bookshelf in the trunk that he'd have to assemble later on.

He reached the Pink Palace and he parked his car in the same spot from the morning. He pulls out the key and sits there for a moment, simply thinking about nothing, he felt so tired for some reason.

Daehyun and Youngjae soon appear in his vision, Youngjae walks ahead while Daehyun films him from behind. He seems to be describing something because his arms are flailing around comically, a bright smile on his adorable face.

Jongin can see how Daehyun doesn't watch the camera, instead he looks directly at Youngjae who's playfully jumping around at this point. He feels something deep in his stomach and he feels his heart stop when Youngjae skips over to Daehyun, hugging his waist before he kisses him.

The two erupt into laughter and Youngjae takes the camera, teasingly as Daehyun hides his blushing expression. The sight makes Jongin smile as well but his smile is bitter.

He wants what they have. Anyone would want a romance in this day in age, Daehyun and Youngjae were so ideal. They were the best of friends and they were companions in life, Jongin had only known them for a day and he could already see that.

Finding a romance in the middle of nowhere wasn't going to be easy so it was the last thing on his mind. For now he wanted to focus on his new career and his new life, love hadn't exactly gone well for him last time.

Jongin finally decides to get out of his car and he juggles groceries in his arms, he'd need to make a few trips for the bedsheets and bookshelf. As he closed the door he looked up and saw Youngjae and Daehyun approaching him.

"Need any help Jongin? How was town?" Youngjae greets him first and Daehyun smiles at him from behind, Jongin's relieved to see that the camera is nowhere in sight,

"Yes please, if that's not too much to ask. And the town was... interesting?" he says politely and he opens the back door, Youngjae takes the bedsheets and linens while Daehyun picks up the bookshelf after Jongin opens the trunk.

"It's a little dead isn't it. All the kids are home for the holidays in the town over, when school starts again it'll be a little more lively." Daehyun laughs, Jongin can vaguely remember that it was a boarding school.

"I see... thanks for this by the way. Also, were you guys listening to music last night?" Jongin asks as they all cross the grass towards the pathway that went past Daehyun and Youngjae's door towards his own.

"No? We do our recordings during the day." Youngjae's brows furrow and he looks confused, Daehyun seems to mirror the emotion and Jongin himself begins to feel confused. It was definitely coming from below so it wasn't Sehun.

"Did you hear something?" Daehyun asks as they patter up the steps, Jongin fishes around in his pocket before finding his keys and he pushes the door open, letting the two inside.

"No... I guess it was my imagination then." he shakes his head with a pout and Youngjae looks at him wordlessly, he looks oddly serious before a small smile spreads on his lips.

"You were probably tired, if it happens again tell us alright? We'll see if we can come up with some ideas." Daehyun gives him a reassuring pat on the back and Jongin smles wryly at him,

"Thanks for the help Youngjae, Daehyun hyung. See you later." Jongin says and they wave enthusiastically before they leave his home. He locks the door and stares at the bookshelf box just waiting to be put together, but he was really too tired to that at the moment.

Jongin then decided he might as well make some kind of dinner that would take a long time to cook so that it made him feel like he was doing something. He nodded to himself and felt that a slow cooked, roasted chicken would be a great idea.

He busies himself in the kitchen and he tries to ignore the longing thoughts of having someone to share all of this space with.

 

Jongin grins victoriously as he looks at the finished bookshelf standing proudly in his living room. He pumps his fist in the air and jiggies a little with the song blaring from his phone.

"I'm a genius, an actual genius." he says to himself with a nod as he sees the bookshelf in all it's glory. But then he remembers how he wanted the bookshelf in the study room down the hall and to the right.

"I'm an idiot, an actual idiot." he grumbles to himself before he tosses the screwdriver he was holding on the ground. He really can't be bothered with anything else regarding this DIY project so he gathers his used plate and fork before he shuts off the living room light and waddles to the kitchen.

Jongin takes his time washing the dishes and he checks the time seeing how it's 9:52pm, he had time for a quick shower. He sweat quite a bit while building and he didn't want to sleep feeling all gross.

He puts the washed plates and utensils on the drying rack, making sure all of the food is wrapped up nicely and refrigerated before he turns off the kitchen light and dashes down the hallway and up the stairs.

Passing by the empty rooms he really does feel lonely, Jongin wonders if he should talk to Sehun about switching apartments, they all paid the same rent anyhow. He enters his room and quickly grabs some fresh clothes before he goes to shower.

Jongin showers with his eyes half closed and he feels so tired he doesn't bother conditioning his hair, he whines and pouts at how sleepy he is and gets out in a hurry. Drying himself off before he slaps on a wifebeater and joggers, Jongin skips back to his room and he lies down on his bed.

He gasps in shock when a spring pops and he can't wait for his new bed to arrive. Jongin snuggles up in the flat duvet since he didn't want to put his new bedsheets and duvet on an old mattress and he drifts off to sleep.

 

The sound of music is what wakes him a few hours later. Confused and lost he sits up in the darkness, his face scrunched up from being awoken so suddenly. Jongin shakes his head and he leaves his room, putting a hoodie loosely over his shoulders without zipping it up as he makes his way downstairs.

He'll give Daehyun and Youngjae a call, asking them whether they were being a disturbance again. As he carefully makes his way down the stairs, his eyes widen when he realizes the sound is louder. But it's coming from the right.

Jongin cautiously makes his way down the hallway and he arrives at the room with the fireplace. His eyes dart around in search of someone but there's no one there, he follows the sound of music and he blinks furiously when he hears the muffled tunes behind the little door.

He looks around as if it's some kind of prank before he opens the door, Jongin falls back onto his butt as a gust of wind assaults him and his eyes close instinctively. Cautiously, he opens them again and he sees a long tunnel.

His jaw drops as he looks at the small light near the end and he scoots forward, hands touching the fabric lining the tunnel, it feels like a rough cotton and he experimentally steps down on it, afraid that the moment he tries to go in he'll fall.

Jongin holds his breath and he begins to crawl through.

 

Hello/How Are You? - Ritsuka


	3. Is There Somewhere

As soon as Jongin crawls into the tunnel his body sinks in the cotton and the door behind him slams shut. He freezes in the odd space and his breath becomes erratic as the odd lights glowing around him single in towards a small opening at the end.

Jongin whimpers as he crawls forward, his hands shaking as they grip into the rough fabric. His body shook as though he was moving on top of an inflatable raft, the air beneath him shifting whenever he moved.

A part of him wanted to so desperately turn back but then there'd be no point. He was extremely curious as to how the little door that was previously lined with bricks suddenly opened up to a long tunnel like so, and most importantly... where did it lead to?

Continuing forward, he lets his worried thoughts lull in his head since he really didn't want to turn back when he was a few feet away from the exit. Jongin gently nudges open the litte door and he freezes when he crawls back into his parlor.

Confused, he turns around and looks thru the tunnel before looking back at the parlor. He exits the tunnel and pushes himself up to stand, his body feeling cramped from being in such a small space.

Jongin glances around the unfamiliar room that left an uneasy feeling deep in his stomach. This was definitely his home. Wasn't it? He turns left and right and from the frame of the door to the fireplace he can swear this is his apartment.

However, something stands strikingly different. Up on the fireplace sit a row of snowglobes, they tinker in the dim lighting mockingly as they rest on a bed of shelf liner. He can also see how there are two comfy armchairs situated in front of the fireplace, he didn't have those.

His footsteps are hesitant as he slowly leaves the room, eyes flickering over the well furnished dining room. Jongin perked up at the sound of velvetly vocals gracing his ears and only then does he notice the soft glow spreading across the hallway leading towards the kitchen.

The smell of warm stew and steamed eggs draws him closer and he turns the corner, squinting as the sudden light makes his eyes ache. Jongin blinks to adjust and he sees a man standing at the stove, his back turned to Jongin as he hums and sings.

"Who are you?" he asks aloud and the stranger turns around. Jongin is instantly met with wide eyes and a handsome face. Dark eyes that rival the blackened skies outside the window look at him curiously, reddened lips pursed.

The stranger is shorter than he is, adorned with thick thighs and arms, he wears nothing more than a pair of black skinny jeans as well as a t shirt. His hair is a flaring red, laying messily and wavy over his head, the sides are neatly buzzed and he has a pair of round golden glasses perched on his nose.

Jongin swallows and he can tell that the stranger shows no interests in answering his question. The male instead turns back to his cooking and Jongin wonders if he always enjoyed having a meal in the middle of the night. He stands uncomfortably in his unzipped hoodie and joggers before he curls his toes and he looks around.

"W-what is this place?" Jongin stutters at the sight of new floorboards and pristine furniture sitting in the kitchen. It contrasts eerily from the worn furniture in his own apartment, everything looks the same but the air feels completely different.

"It's what you want it to be. What would you like this place to be Jongin?" a smooth deep voice runs up and down his spine and he looks at the beautiful stranger who has ceased stirring whatever he was cooking. He was completely turned now, giving all of his attention the other man.

"How did you know my name?" Jongin asks and the man doesn't speak. His gaze burns intensely into Jongin's mind and he feels so drawn, he can't explain it. The stranger was undeniably alluring.

"It can be your safe place." the man says as he steps closer and Jongin unconsciously takes a step back, his back hitting the wall as he does so. The stranger tilts his head and flashes an amused heart shaped smile.

"It can be a place where everything is okay. Where everything is perfect." he continues and Jongin's eyes look back at the small doorway he had crawled through. He jumps when it slams shut and when he turns back the beautiful stranger is standing inches away from him. 

"I can give you everything you want. You only need to do one little thing for me Jongin." he shivers at the sound of his name and when cold hands rest on his hips his knee trembles. His eyes lid as he looks closely at the stranger's lips he unconsciously leans forward and his snaps back when he realizes what he did.

"A-and what is that?" he whispers and he's rewarded with another smile, he hates how easily he's swooned by this man. He was definitely weak in front of this stranger and it was causing him to ignore the warning signals flashing desperately in his head. He was taught to think with his head and not his dick goddammit.

"Come back to me. Every night." he accentuates the syllables and Jongin blinks at him stupidly. Come back? Through that door and into this strange alternate reality? He shakes his head and he swears he must be having some kind of erotic dream.

"Who are you?" he deadpans, he tries to move further away but the wall behind him stops him from doing so and it only causes the stranger to come even closer, pressing their bodies together. Jongin can swear he sees flecks of purple in those black eyes.

"You know who I am, you know my name Jongin." the stranger replies and Jongin shakes his head like a child. Why was he so intimidated by someone inches shorter than himself? 

"Why should I come back?" the cold hands are dancing on his heated skin, teasingly prodding beneath his wife beater. His hoodie was slipping off his shoulders at this point, revealing his golden skin.

"Would you like me to show you Jongin?" he leans closer and Jongin isn't sure what he's supposed to do or what the man even means. Show him? Show him what. Gentle fingers carress his neck and he shudders,

"Turn around sugar." his deep voice travels deep into Jongin's core and he obeys almost immediately. His cheek rests against the plaster and his hands hold onto his helplessly as he awaits for the man to touch him.

"Fuck you smell so good." Jongin gasps as he feels the man inhaling deeply at his neck, his hoodie is pulled off of him and tossed to the side, leaving him with his arms bare. He feels plush lips kiss beneath his ear and he keens,

"K-kyungsoo." he moans and his tenses up at the name. How did he know his name? Kyungsoo chuckles behind him and he's clearly pleased at the sound of his name. He leans closer and his crotch presses into the curve of Jongin's ass.

"Yes sugar?" he whispers seductively and Jongin's body immediately heats up. He yearns to be touched and he thrusts against the wall when Kyungsoo's fingers rub the skin beneath his belly button.

"P-please." he pleads and he doesn't know what exactly he's begging for. But Kyungsoo is beautiful and he lures Jongin like a moth to a flame, and he's not afraid to be burnt. He wants it so badly.

Without warning Kyungsoo ruts against Jongin roughly, causing his head to hit the wall. Flustered, he keeps his hands perched against the wall to keep his head from hitting it once more. 

Kyungsoo thrusts against him without remorse, his hardened bulge and jeans frustrating Jongin to no end. He couldn't feel him through his joggers and he so desperately wanted to.

"Patience sugar, if I give you too much, you won't come back now will you?" Jongin can feel every fibre of Kyungsoo's words and his voice deep in his brain. Everything was Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, what was happening?

Kyungsoo is thoroughly enjoying how easily Jongin comes apart for him, he takes advantage of the man's needy state and sucks deep marks onto his caramel skin, moaning at how sweet he tastes.

Jongin throws his head back and he comes embarrisingly fast, his ass rubbing against Kyungsoo's front as he rides out his orgasm. His knees grow limp and he falters in Kyungsoo's hold, falling back lifelessly.

"Sleep now sugar. Sleep." 

 

When Jongin wakes the next morning he practically jolts out of bed. His head whips around and he can see that he's back in his own bed and his own room. Everything looks old and dusty like it's always been and he sighs in relief.

He squirms at the uncomfortable feeling of dried cum in his briefs and he sighs, since when did he have wet dreams like this anyways? He hadn't had them since high school and since when were they about hot men rather than voluptuous women?

Without noticing that his hoodie from last night has gone missing Jongin digs around in his suitcase for a pair of briefs, he didn't mind wearing the same outfit for another day. He had no plans anyways and he had work tomorrow.

He enters the washroom within seconds this time, having become fully aware of which door it is. He strips down and proceeds to climb into the shower but he notices something in the mirror.

Jongin touches the round bruises on his neck with his fingertips and he winces at the strange feeling. These were hickeys weren't they? His brows furrow as he tries to remember what he doing last night. It was all a dream wasn't it?

He rids himself of those confusing thoughts and he just blames the markings on his skin from him scratching himself in his sleep or something. Jongin washes himself thoroughly and he shivers as he washes his neck.

It wasn't hard to tell that something else was going on but he didn't want to read too much into it, it was morning and he was tired. Maybe he'd go up the orchard today? Everyone except for Daehyun seems to like going down that path anyways.

Jongin quickly rinses and dries off before dressing himself. He resorts to a pair of jeans and a simple shirt, judging by the sunshine illuminating his home it was a nice day outside.

He trudges downstairs after pocketing his phone and he can't help but glance at the little door that peeks at him ever so slightly from the doorway leading to the parlor. Jongin brushes it off and exits his apartment, he decides that he'll eat breakfast when he gets back home.

As soon as he opens the door he's shaded from the sunlight and he locks his door quickly before feeling a refreshing breeze pass by him. Summer was definitely ending but at least it was still reasonably warm.

With a smile on his face he steps down the small steps and proceeds to make his way around the house, only then does Jongin remember that the door in his kitchen leads straight to the garden's gates and he sighs.

Despite that he still merrily makes his way towards the garden, not wanting even the slightest thing to ruin his mood today. His sleep had been questionable last night but he felt well rested.

Jongin carefully tugs on the latch before he pushes open the gate, the eerie sound making him wince as he enters. He nonchalantly slams it shut letting the latch fall back into place before he steps over the cobblestone path.

He hears nothing but the sound of the wind rustling the dead plants and he crosses the wooden bridge with his hand on the railing, he didn't exactly trust the thing but this was the quickest way to the orchard.

As he exits the garden he's greeted with dirt roads and a vibrant forest. Jongin walks forward and he looks around, some of the trees are still covered in their green leaves while others are beginning to lose their bright colours.

He takes a deep breath and the scent of earth and faint fruit fills his nose. It smells so sweet. Sehun had mentioned that the trees no longer bore fruit but it was clear that they were still apple trees.

Jongin thinks back to the bookshelf standing proudly in his living room and he'll probably ask Daehyun and Youngjae to help him move it later on, he'd ask Sehun but for some reason he felt so distant with the other.

The pathway isn't long he notes, he can already see where the ground begins to ascend and he assumes the well is atop the small hill. Jongin looks around and he can see abandoned carts, the wood already covered in green moss, there always also baskets lying around, some broken and some looking perfectly new.

Jongin closes his eyes for a moment and he can vaguely remember a man named Kyungsoo touching him in his dreams. The thought of the marks on his neck and the heat on his skin makes him feel sick and he convinces himself it's an erotic dream. That was a reasonable explanation.

His thighs begin to burn as he steadily climbs the hill, it was that steep but it still required some stamina to climb, Jongin reached the top and only then did he hear the sound of a high pitched flute.

When he looks ahead he sees a teenage boy standing on a tree stump, his body swaying as he plays a strange shaped flute that is cupped in his hands. Even from this distance Jongin can tell that the boy has beautifully slender fingers.

The tune he's playing is very happy and upbeat but it settles oddly in Jongin's stomach. The sight before him was... odd. There in front of him was a teenager standing on a tree stump, the skies bright and blue around him but the trees looks ghastly and strange.

Beside him in the ground is a wooden circle surrounded by little orange rocks and more dirt. Jongin realizes that the song has stopped and he sees the teenager smiling at him, he has a puppy like cuteness that matches his wavy brown hair.

"You just moved into the Pink Palace right? My name is Byun Baekhyun, my grandma owns the place." Baekhyun says with a wave and he makes no motion to get off of the stump, his flute clutched close to him.

"Oh so you're Lady Byun's grandson. I'm Kim Jongin." he introduces himself and Baekhyun's grin doesn't cease the slightest bit. He rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet and he watches as Jongin curiously walks around the top of the hill.

"That well there, people have said it's so deep that if you fall in you'll hear the whispers of those who've died in there before you reach the bottom." Jongin carefully takes another step back from the well and he doesn't dare come any closer.

"You're going to be the new dance teacher right Mr. Kim? I didn't take dance this year since I play the ocarina in music but I have a friend who did, so take care of him will you?" Baekhyun's tone hasn't wavered from it's chipper nature and Jongin doesn't know how to feel about that.

"I can't play favourites Baekhyun but what's his name-?" Jongin flinches when a gust of wind rushes by them and he almost loses his balance, he wipes his eyes and he looks at the Pink Palace in the near distance.

" _Baekhyun_!" the teen doesn't get a chance to answer when they're both interrupted by an old voice in the trees, Baekhyun looks towards a certain direction and he hops off of the stump, his feet grazing the board a little too close for Jongin's comfort.

"Maybe I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Kim, bye now." he says before he brings his ocarina to his lips, he plays the same tune as he walks off and Jongin doesn't wait for him to get to wherever he needs to go. 

Instead, he turns back to the Pink Palace and makes his way down the hill. 

 

When Jongin reaches the garden he's shocked by the sight of an adorable pomeranian trotting around like it owned the world. The fluffy creature looks at him before it continues digging around in the dirt.

Then he hears the sound of the gate opening abruptly and he sees Daehyun and Youngjae followed by someone really tall running inside. They chase after the dog and it only runs from them.

"Mochi come back here!" the tall teen yells and Jongin sighs, he was definitely young and not that great at pet parenting. His attention goes elsewhere when he feels something nipping at his shoes and he looks down to see Mochi gnawing at his laces.

Unamused Jongin lifts up the dog and hugs it close to him, it squirms slightly before getting comfortable in his arms and he can't help but smile. The pomeranian was so cute and happy.

"Hey Jongin! You caught Mochi." Daehyun approaches first with bated breath and he gestures to said dog and Jongin can only nod, he hands the dog back to who he presumes is it's owner with a smile.

"Thanks a lot Jongin, meet Choi Junhong, he's my cousin and he'll be in your class tomorrow noon." Youngjae introduces and Junhong regards him with a nod and a grin, despite being taller than he was Junhong definitely looked younger.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Kim. We kind of chased him all around the house before he entered the garden." Junhong laughs sheepishly and Jongin laughs, that would explain why they were all out of breath.

"You can just call me hyung outside of school Junhong, it's okay. So are you visiting?" Jongin asks as they all slowly make their way back towards the Pink Palace. Mochi sneezes and they all laugh lightly. Jongin feels bitter at his dream of wanting to own three dogs, maybe someday, right now he was too busy.

"I actually came from Mokpo a little early. Our academy is probably the only one that doesn't open it's dorms earlier, so I'll be staying with Youngjae hyung tonight." Junhong explains,

"They allow pets in the dorms?" Jongin didn't know of any schools that actually allowed that, he'd only seen it in american movies and such but he didn't hear anything about it when he'd gotten the job.

"They allow the well behaved pets to stay with us. Isn't that right Mochi?" Junhong scratches the back of the dog's ear and it immediately yips and bites at his fingers. Jongin can clearly say that Mochi was not well behaved in the slighest.

"Oh yeah I was wondering if you guys could help me move a bookshelf? I built it in the wrong room." Youngjae bursts out into laughter and Jongin rolls his eyes, of course he'd laugh at him.

"Sure, we'll help. Mind if Mochi roams free while we do?" Daehyun asks and Jongin mumbles that he doesn't mind. The four make their way to his kitchen door and Jongin fumbles with the keys before he finally manages to open it.

The moment Junhong releases his hold on the ball of fur it disappears out of sight and Jongin prays that it's well trained. He really didn't want to deal with any dog excrement on his "new" floors.

"Hey, why doesn't Junhong stay with me for the night? I have a guest room upstairs." Jongin suggests when they all enter the living room and Youngjae looks at Junhong, 

"I don't mind whatever you choose. But know that if you're sleeping with us, you're either getting the sofa or the floppy roll out futon." Youngjae says in a way that Jongin takes as a threat and Junhong turns to smile at him.

"I'd appreciate that hyung, thank you." Jongin can't help but notice the obvious height difference between Junhong and Youngjae, it was like they weren't even related. He puts that aside however to focus on the task at hand.

"So you guys can carry and I'll direct. Into the study right Jongin?" Youngjae's hands are on his hips and Jongin should've seen this coming. He nods at the question and the three of them lift the bookcase, following Youngjae's peppery directions before it's placed where he wants it.

"Thanks a lot Daehyun, Junhong... so Youngjae, I guess height wasn't on your side of the family?" Jongin teases and he erupts into high pitched laughter when Youngjae chases after him.

 

That night the apartment is silent. Junhong is sleeping away in the guest room along with Mochi and Jongin is in his own room, his eyes however don't even feel droopy and he can't fall asleep.

" _Come back to me. Every night_." 

It was a dream though... wasn't it? Jongin insecurely grips the duvet and he hesitantly sits up, wrapping it around himself protectively before he slowly leaves his room. 

Once again he pads down the hallway and down the stairs, trying to remain extra quiet for Junhong's sake. Jongin's feet touch the old carpet sitting in the hallway on the first floor and he makes his way to the parlor.

He kneels in front of the little door and with his eyes closed he pulls it open. Jongin doesn't feel anything, not a breeze of wind or even cold air, when he opens his eyes the door is sealed shut.

 

Is There Somewhere - Halsey


	4. Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa, sorry I had this chapter up on AFF for awhile now but I hadn't transferred it over ;;   
> Also big thank you to d.o.itall for reccing this T^T  
> Enjoy <3

Jongin wakes before his alarm this time, he simply picks up his phone and dismisses the thing before it disturbs him 15 minutes later. After seeing that the doorway was closed, he went to bed with an odd feeling in his chest.

It was a dream anyways so why was he so disheartened? It was stupid. The idea that crawling through the little door behind his wallpaper would lead him to another reality where a man named Kyungsoo was waiting for him.

He shakes his head in an attempt to get rid of the confusion that was beginning to cause quite the headache. Jongin sighs and he makes his way to the washroom, today was his first day at work so he might as well make the most of it.

"Good morning Jongin hyung." Junhong greets from the guest room and Jongin almost jumps in surprise, forgetting that the teen was staying with him the night before. He puts on a smile and waves his hand,

"Morning Junhong, sleep well?" Jongin teeters on the balls of his feet and he hopes the teen doesn't notice his jumpy behaviour. Little patters are heard across the floor and soon enough Mochi is pouncing from the guest room, tail up high as he rushes down the stairs.

"I slept okay, the house is so quiet." Junhong replies honestly as he scratches his head, he has a small bag of what Jongin assumes is toiletries in his hand and the adult steps aside.

"You can use the washroom first, I'll just wash up in the one downstairs. There's towels in the closet there and you're free to use my shampoo and things if you want to shower." Jongin gestures to the slim door behind them and Junhong grins.

"Thanks hyung, Youngjae hyung mentioned something about breakfast so you might want to ask him about that." the teen informs him before he slips into the washroom, Jongin just nods to himself and begins to pad down the stairs, the cold flooring makes his toes curl but he hates having socks on.

Jongin finds Mochi doing his business on the puppy pad and he sighs in relief before he goes to the washroom near the front door. He quickly uses the toilet and washes his face before brushing his teeth and he runs his hands down his face.

He felt as though he hadn't slept a wink, his body felt heavy and sluggish, he'd have to take things easy for today's classes. Jongin would probably subject the teens to some ice breakers and other team building activities, it was the first week and they weren't expected to begin the unit yet.

As he exits the washroom he hears a knock on his door and Jongin peeks through the peep hole before opening it, Youngjae and Daehyun smile at him and they're both dressed in their slacks and shirts, looking very spiffy and prepared for their jobs, unlike Jongin who's still in his pajama shorts and loose t shirt that drapes over his body.

"Good morning." he says lazily and he lets them in upon seeing Daehyun holding a bag of what he assumed was breakfast. Thankfully Youngjae and Daehyun, mostly Youngjae, were being quiet for once because his headache was beginning to worsen.

"You don't look so good Jongin, come sit down. Where's Junhong?" Youngjae says softly and he swears he sees the pomeranian rush across the hallway but he only caught a glimpse of fluffiness.

"He's using the washroom upstairs. Sorry, my head is aching so badly." Jongin rubs his temples in an attempt to ease the pain and he settles in one of the stools by the kitchen table, it squeaks under his weight and he almost loses his balance.

"Rough night? It wasn't because of Junhong right? That kid likes to blast his music and dance on his bed shirtless." Youngjae shakes his head while Daehyun busies himself, searching for plates to place breakfast on.

"Nah he was real quiet last night, no one is rowdy before the first day of school." he laughs lightly and winces as another throbs goes right to his eyes, Jongin groans and lays his head on his folded arms.

"Good morning, hey Jongin hyung are you alright?" Junhong patters down in his bare feet but Jongin can see that the teen is clad in his uniform judging by how his pants ride up near his ankles.

"You couldn't find a longer size?" Jongin teases as he lifts his head and Junhong pauses with a mouthful of muffin as he chews slowly and begins to frown. He watches as the teen walks off, presumably to go find his dog.

"He has a height complex, kids call him a giant." Daehyun explains and Jongin makes a mental note to apologize later. He himself was quite tall but he never thought of it as a complex, Junhong probably had 10 centimetres on him though.

"Well we should head off, Junhong needs to toss his stuff in the dorms and we have a meeting to attend. Will you be alright?" at the mention of his name Junhong walks back into the kitchen with Mochi trailing behind him.

"I'll be fine, you guys can go first. I'll meet you there." Jongin waves them off in a nonchalant manner and Daehyun washes up the dishes that were used while Youngjae takes the liberty of directing Junhong.

"Thanks again Jongin hyung, for letting me stay." the teen calls out to him while he's on the staircase and Jongin merely nods his head in acknowledgement. He heads up in a hurry and decides to ignore a shower for now.

Jongin gets dressed in the outfit he'd laid out last night, he already had his bag filled with more comfortable clothing, suitable for dancing in, but he was subjected to the stereotypical formal wear like every other teacher.

Once he's all dressed and prepared he grabs his things and ignores the urge to inspect the little door again before he leaves his house and drives his way to the academy. 

 

As Jongin drives into the parking slot deliberately labelled as "Staff Parking Only", he begins to notice just how grand his new workplace is. The whole building resembles something straight out of Hogwarts.

The academy is built with large grey blocks and the doorways are large and arched, huge stone pillars filling each room. The students filed in one by one dressed in grey uniforms with black gloves and hats. It seemed like a scene out of a movie.

Suddenly he wasn't feeling so confident in his navy blue dress shirt, then again Daehyun had been wearing a light beige one so he wasn't too worried. Jongin makes his way through the front door along with other students who he's told range from 4 years old to 18 years old, was this the only school nearby?

He vaguely remembers the way to the front office since he has been here before, to pick up his identification card that hangs low around his neck. Jongin goes straight to the staff room and he sits beside Daehyun who is beside Youngjae, 

"You okay? I have some painkillers in my car if you need some," Youngjae leans forward to look past Daehyun and Jongin just shakes his head with a tense smile on his lips. 

"I don't want to risk any drowsiness, I'll be fine thanks," Jongin doesn't wait to hear what Youngjae has to say considering the Headmaster has just entered the office. Her face is graced with age and her hair is lined with grey, her eyes hard but her painted lips are stretched into a smile.

"I will keep this brief since we will be meeting for dinner tonight, I'd like to welcome our new staff members, Kim Jongin in the Arts department and Kim Minseok in the Math department, please welcome them." The Headmaster, Kim Taeyeon, looks at both of the newcomers and they stand to bow at the other staff members.

"Your schedules have been placed in your mailboxes, I will see you all tonight. Have a good day, we have some new students who have transferred in. Check your class lists and ensure they are at home." Taeyeon informs them and she straightens out her matching blazer and skirt before she smiles and leaves the room.

"Come Jongin, we'll show you where the mailboxes are," Daehyun pokes him in the shoulder and he follows them along with everyone else who files out of what seems to be a meeting room, which is connected to the staff room he notes. 

Youngjae and Daehyun lead him to a lonely area with four boxes, one remains nameless. Jongin sees how each of the boxes have a sticker with their full names and what classes they teach on them. For his it reads, _Mr. Kim Jongin - Dance._

"I've got first period off? How unfair is that?" Youngjae exclaims as soon as he reads his schedule and Daehyun snickers at him, even Jongin can't help but laugh. It sucked. There was no point in going back home so he'd have to loiter around for about two hours till his class.

"At least you can sleep in tomorrow," Jongin teases and Youngjae rolls his eyes as the three make their way down the halls towards the art department. Jongin wondered if he should've stayed back to converse with the others, but they'd already left before he had the chance.

"I've got second off, what about you Jongin?" Daehyun asks as he nods at some students who greet them. Jongin can only awkwardly smile since he doesn't know anyone yet, however they all seem fond of Daehyun and Youngjae. Jongin wonders if they know that the two are a couple, it'd probably cause a riot.

"Same here," he replies as they go down a winded stone staircase, there are small windows along the wall and Jongin is very much reminded of Hogwarts. Judging by the uniforms and the building he wouldn't be shocked if it was a school for witches and wizards. It suited the town immensely.

"What so you guys get to hang out while I'm teaching?" Youngjae pouts and his voice echoes in the large halls. Jongin can hear the sounds of footsteps tapping around him and it causes his head to pound. They arrive at another door and Jongin assumes it's another staff room.

"We have about half an hour and I'm sure you want to look at the curriculum," Daehyun says to him and they part towards their desks. Jongin sees how the staff room here is already split up and he can tell that Daehyun and Youngjae didn't even bother cleaning up before summer break.

However, he does as he's told because truthfully speaking he really did want to know how the curriculum was. It would play a big role in how he'd conduct the class and how he needed to split up the units and such. Jongin sits at what would be his new desk and he begins to sift through the package that had been in his mailbox.

The course is split into four subjects, for a dance class that was already a lot. Jongin reads that there is jazz, hip hop, ballroom and finally kinesiology for practical reasons. Jongin feels upset at the lack of ballet but he hadn't been expecting it to begin with. It was a dance that was extremely difficult to learn if not taught from a young age, it was also a goldmine of injuries that Jongin wasn't sure he wanted to deal with.

Jongin looks through his class lists and there are less than 30 students per class. Considering he was the only dance teacher that meant that there was an abnormally small amount of students interested in dance. He's surprised the academy still had it's course open.

"You know, Youngjae used to teach dance before you came round," Daehyun's voice brings him out of his thoughts and he turns in his wheeled chair to face the other man. Youngjae is sitting on Daehyun's desk and they're both facing him with knowing smiles,

"The Art department all ties into one large musical at the end of the semester. The students from Art design the sets, the dance students well perform, and the vocal students deliver the story. It's our job to write the musical itself," Youngjae explains and Jongin raises an eyebrow,

"So we have to teach them the curriculum on top of preparing for an end of the year show that we have to write ourselves?" He repeats and it's clear that he is not joyed by this information. Daehyun waves his hands and laughs,

"It's not that bad Jongin, half of what you teach them can be for the musical. You can implement the things they learn so it'll be easier. Like I'll do a lesson on paintings trees or something so that when the time comes if we need a tree they can paint it. The musical is the final project in all the courses of Art," Daehyun states and Jongin nods.

"What was last year's musical based on?" Jongin asks and the room goes silent for a moment. He stares at the two in confusion and their faces remain stoic, Youngjae's eyes slowly crinkle into a smile and he tilts his head,

"The well on the hill."

 

"You moved into the Pink Palace right?" Jongin turns in surprise at the sound of a very deep voice and he hates how he's reminded of a certain someone from his dreams. He was currently on his break and Daehyun had left him to drop by the bakery, he apologized about it but promised to buy something for Jongin as well.

So here he was sitting on one of the many benches strewn through the grand halls. He had yet to explore the castle of an academy, he was afraid he'd get lost and end up late to his third period class. He was in front of the graduation photos of previous students, their faces all sad in their gowns and caps.

"Yeah I did," Jongin replies to the man who is standing in front of him. His hair is long and curly and it sits atop his glasses, brushing over his eyebrows slightly. A long white coat drapes over his lean figure and he has a textbook in his hand, it reads, " _Biology for Dummies_ ".

"So you're the new roommate Daehyun and Youngjae have been talking about. May I have a seat?" the man gestures to the empty space beside him and Jongin nods, shifting over so that the other man can take a seat, although he takes little room.

"I'm Bang Yongguk, I teach Biology. I'm also a high school friend of Daehyun and Youngjae's," he introduces himself and he speaks so slowly and... lowly that Jongin unconsciously leans in to listen better. Despite the man's scary appearance he has a beautiful set of hands and he seems bashful as he smiles down at the floor.

"Kim Jongin, I teach Dance. So those two have known each other for that long?" Jongin smiles and he hopes to ease the man's nerves, because it was starting to make him nervous too. His headache has subsided relatively and his first class had been a quiet group of kids who ranged from age 12-16.

"Since they were kids, we all lived in the same neighbourhood. I'm surprised they allowed you to move into the Pink Palace, the middle suite has been vacant for years," Yongguk taps his fingernails against his textbook and Jongin hears the sound running through his blood. He panics and shakes his head,

"I thought Old Lady Byun was the landlord? Why would they have the power to stop someone from moving in?" Jongin wonders if he sounds desperate because the look in Yongguk's eyes makes him feel that way. The Biology teacher clasps his hands and clears his throat,

"Lady Byun is quite old, so Daehyun and Youngjae do a lot of the maintenance. They haven't told you about the incident in town?" Yongguk raises an eyebrow and his deep voice raises to higher levels. Jongin feels his headache coming back and before he can question, the bell rings.

 

Jongin stumbles from his car after a long drive home. Well that was dramatic considering it was about 25 minutes or so but when you're tired and just want to go home to sleep everything feels a lot longer. The staff dinner meeting was more so just a dinner where they drank and talked to one another.

He didn't have to worry about the spotlight until they asked him where he used to live to which he vaguely answered. Thankfully, the Chemistry teacher Chanyeol diverted the attention from him and began talking about his want to join the music department. 

Jongin hadn't drinken much since he knew he'd be driving home so he only had a sip of wine since he couldn't avoid the toast from the Headmaster and he drank tea the rest of the night. The restaurant they dined in had been a vintage type of diner dubbed, "Sally's Room". They had been the only ones there during the time, the atmosphere had been borderline amicable.

Now all he wanted to do was strip of his professional clothing and dive into his bed. No more worries about his apartment or the town. He didn't even know if his neighbours had all grown up there or not. Jongin glanced at the staircase that lead to Sehun's apartment upstairs and he couldn't recall seeing Yixing anywhere. If she didn't attend the academy then where did she learn?

Jongin had become aware that all students were subjected to living in the dorms. He hasn't seen Yixing anywhere at home but he wonders what dorm he'd live in? Would the Headmaster allow a boy who wished to be a girl live with the other girls? What if he was bullied? Maybe that was why Sehun didn't allow Yixing to learn at the academy. 

He shook his head from all of the unnecessary thoughts and unlocked his apartment door before he entered. Jongin toed off his dress shoes and professionally threw his briefcase against the wall before he dragged himself towards the stairs. However, the muffled sound of music causes him to freeze in his steps.

Jongin slowly approaches the parlor and his heart squeezes uncomfortably when he sees the little door, wide open. His breath hitches and he slaps his hands against his face to wake himself up from this dream, but when he looks at the door it's still open.

With a throbbing in his head and he makes the decision to enter it once more. Again, he finds himself crawling through what was a terrifying tunnel suspended by absolutely nothing and when his hands touch the cold wooden floors in the other apartment he's met with the smell of spice and a flush of warmth.

The crackle of fire burns in his ears and he can see a figure sitting in one of the two armchairs, the tuff of red hair peeking from the top of the chair is a dead giveaway. Jongin can't find it in himself to stand yet and he squeaks when the little door slams shut behind him.

"Kyungsoo?" Jongin whispers, his head in aching again and it isn't helping the nauseous feeling in his stomach paired with the pounding of his heart. Kyungsoo stands from his chair and he turns to face Jongin who was still sitting on the floor, the fire creates shadows on his beautiful face and he isn't wearing his glasses today.

"Yes sugar?" his silk like voice travels right up Jongin's spine and he uses the wall as support to stand. Kyungsoo is wearing nothing but a bathrobe and he has a glass of wine in his hand, the shade of red strikingly similar to what he had drinken earlier tonight. Jongin steps closer and the shorter man makes no motion to move, he simply watches.

"You told me to return to you every night, but your door was closed," the tone in Jongin's voice is reminiscent of that of a child's, one who was promised goods for behaving well. Kyungsoo takes a sip of his wine and he licks his lips with a stained tongue,

"You had someone in your home last night," Kyungsoo answers short and simple. He downs the rest of his glass and sets it down atop the fireplace beside a snowglobe with a clink. Jongin doesn't realize that they're inches apart now, his legs carrying him to Kyungsoo like a moth to a flame.

"Is this a dream or reality?" _Are you a dream or reality_? The questions sits heavy in his throat and he rests his hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders before they begin to wander towards the opening of the robe by the man's chest. His fingertips dance on the exposed skin, unsure of whether he had permission or not.

"I'd like for it to be a dream, so that I may indulge myself in you," Jongin whispers and Kyungsoo can tell that he doesn't know that he's speaking his thoughts freely. The shorter man places his hand on Jongin's hip and pulls him a little closer, so that their lips are close but not close enough.

"And how exactly are you going to do that Jongin?" Kyungsoo asks and Jongin's hands drop from the thick fabric in a heart beat. His eyes widened as he's broken from his trance, he stands helplessly in front of Kyungsoo. Jongin takes a deep breath and he bites his lower lip,

"Will you let me?" he sounds so precious. Kyungsoo wants to _devour_ him, he wants to keep him all for himself and the gaze in his eyes hide nothing. Jongin feels fear but not of Kyungsoo, he fears that he wouldn't mind letting this man do as he pleased.

"Of course sugar,"

 

Touch - Troye Sivan

 


	5. Peaches

The moment Kyungsoo's soft fingertips lightly caress the nape of his neck he instantly shudders, his knees weakening in front of this man simply because of his heated gaze and his touch. Jongin's eyes are lidded as he lets out small puffs of air, their lips were centimetres apart and he wanted nothing more than to lean forward.

"You look so ready for me sugar, ready to eat," Jongin feels the low timbre of the pet name in his lower stomach, causing arousal to work through his blood. Kyungsoo seems to notice this and he inhales deeply, his eyes rolling back as if he's smelt something heavenly.

"You smell positively _divine_ ," Kyungsoo rasps and Jongin doesn't protest as his hand is held and he's guided through the house and up the stairs. As they ascend Jongin's brain is much too muddled to take in his surroundings. Unable to notice the differences and similarities between this home and his own. However, unlike his own that is lacking overall colour, Kyungsoo's walls are a deep red, covered with round framed paintings.

They approach the master bedroom in a heartbeat and Kyungsoo looks back at Jongin with dark eyes before he pushes the door open. Kyungsoo turns on the lights before he leans back against the doorway allowing Jongin to enter, his eyes open wide at what was the master bedroom. Unlike his own that had cracked plaster in the ceiling and dull floorboards Kyungsoo’s room was rich. It made Jongin feel small in his lame button down and slacks.

The walls were painted a deeper red than that of the hallways. Not a single thing was placed on them, making it feel less personal and much more daunting. The floorboards and trims were a nice chestnut colour which complemented the walls surprisingly well. There isn’t much furniture other than a bed and a dresser to the far right. Jongin glances at the window and he sees nothing more than dark skies with an amazing array of stars on display.

“Like what you see?” Kyungsoo is behind him in a heartbeat, warm breath tickling his neck and causing the small hairs to stand. Jongin shudders as strong arms wrap around his waist and kisses are placed along his nape. He glances at the bed and it looks like something straight out of the Victorian era. Almost too grand for a single man to spend his nights in. The sheets were a deep red and the pillows matched although lined with gold tassels, they were so plump and inviting.

The fireplace across from the bed was much better looking than his own. Logs placed in the firebox although they appear to have been unused for some time now. Which made sense since the cold weather was only just approaching. Jongin’s back in his own room was filled with ash and it was so dusty he was dreading the day he’d have to clean it. Kyungsoo’s hands resting on his shoulders gets his attention and he looks over his shoulder at the other man.

“Lie down sugar, show me how much you want me,” Kyungsoo gently urges and Jongin finds himself moving. He turns around and looks into Kyungsoo’s heavy gaze before he steps back, hands shaking as he untucks his shirt and begins undoing the buttons. Jongin looks at anything but Kyungsoo as he peels his off his button down, tossing it on the ground carelessly. Kyungsoo bends down and he lifts the clothing with delicate fingertips, bringing it to his chin as he seems to feed off of the residual heat.

Jongin removes his belt next, his pants were feeling slightly uncomfortable and he wanted to them off. The tension in the air was thick, nothing but the sound of their breaths gracing the air. Kyungsoo’s eyes never left him and rather than gaining confidence Jongin could feel himself shrinking back, almost as though he wanted to run. But his mind was telling him that this person in front of him was the very embodiment of his dreams and he’d regret running.

With that thought Jongin pulls down his slacks and he steps out of them, leaving the pants on the floor. Leaving his underwear on he sits down on the bed, doing an awkward shimmy to move further onto the bed since he doesn’t feel right turning his back on Kyungsoo. Once he lies down comfortably, Kyungsoo moves to turn off the lights, immediately enveloping them in murky darkness.

Jongin takes a deep breath and he waits for his eyes to adjust, there’s little to no light in the room. Other than the faint glow coming from the window but it wasn’t as strong as moonlight. His thoughts are interrupted when he feels a dip on the bed and Jongin gasps when cold fingers touch his shin. Kyungsoo’s hands linger on his skin and they work their way up towards his inner thighs, grip strong as they’re eased apart.

“Gorgeous,” Jongin shudders at the depth of Kyungsoo’s voice, it almost sounds like a growl and he hates how aroused he feels by it. Jongin feels Kyungsoo settle between his thighs and he reaches upward to feel the other man, his hands meet with smooth skin and he’s almost shocked at how quickly Kyungsoo stripped of his clothing till he remembered the man had been clad in only a bathrobe earlier.

“Don’t flatter me,” Jongin attempts to lighten up the mood since it’s feeling much more intimate than he’d expected but he feels Kyungsoo’s hands on his cheeks in a millisecond, strong fingers forcing him to meet dark eyes. Then he feels Kyungsoo tracing his features, from his hairline to his cheeks, all the way down his jawline and along the bridge of his nose, ghosting over his lips. Jongin swallows hard and he feels Kyungsoo’s lips on his adam’s apple the next moment.

“I do not flatter Jongin, I speak only the truth,” it always makes his heart flutter when Kyungsoo uses his name. Jongin wants to argue, stating that compared to Kyungsoo he wasn’t much at all. But his tongue feels like cotton when he feels those glorious lips dancing along his collar bone, sucking mark wherever they pleased. Jongin could only whine, unable to voice his concerns about his students seeing them.

“You taste as sweet as you look,” Kyungsoo says and he wraps his lips around Jongin’s left nipple, hands holding down his hips from rutting upwards. Jongin mentally curses at himself for being so sensitive he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been with a woman, let alone a man. And Kyungsoo knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how to make Jongin wait, how to make him needy. He wanted more.

“Patience sugar, I’ll take care of you,” Kyungsoo reassures him with a tender lick on his nub before moving on the next. Jongin gasps when he feels Kyungsoo bite and tug at his nipple and his hands fly to the man’s red locks, gripping them tightly as he moans. Kyungsoo’s seems pleased at the reaction because he does it once more, pinching the other for good measure. Jongin unconsciously presses his thighs unsuccessfully considering Kyungsoo’s between them.

“Oh? Would you like me to touch here?” Kyungsoo asks in an almost cheeky tone as he cups Jongin’s growing erection. Jongin can only hear him move and he can feel goosebumps erupting on his skin when a hot breath feels dangerously close to his member. Kyungsoo doesn’t waste any time and he peels away the only obstacle between him and his prize. He removes Jongin’s underwear from his long legs and licks his lips,

“W-wait Kyungsoo-!” Jongin cuts himself off with a surprised moan as his half hard cock is engulfed in pleasurable heat. Jongin was in no means huge but he also wasn’t small and he can feel himself touching the ring of Kyungsoo’s throat, the man doesn’t even choke, only sucking on him harder. Strong hands grip his thighs to keep them from closing and Jongin babbles nonsense, a mixture of Kyungsoo’s name along with pleads.

Jongin can feel himself reaching his edge embarrassingly fast and he can only tug on Kyungsoo’s hair harder in hopes of warning him, too ashamed to say the words out loud. He isn’t sure if he’s understood but when he releases his load down Kyungsoo’s throat he seems to have no problems, swallowing hungrily as Jongin’s thighs shake. Kyungsoo doesn’t stop sucking even when Jongin’s done, teasing the sensitive cockhead with his tongue.

Jongin whines and it’s starting to hurt so he pushes the other man away from his cock, falling back onto the bed when he’s free. His body is still feeling the shocks of his orgasm and he grips the satin sheets to calm himself down. He doesn’t get much of a break before his legs are being spread and hoisted upward, Jongin gasps when he feels a wet finger pressing against his orifice and only then does he register the delectable scent of cherries.

“Kyungsoo?” Jongin whimpers as the first finger is added and for a second he can’t recognize Kyungsoo at all. The man’s movements grow ragged almost suddenly animalistic as he pumps his finger in and out, biting marks on Jongin’s inner thighs. He licks long stripes along Jongin’s skin and he adds another finger almost hastefully but thankfully it doesn’t hurt much at all, only slightly uncomfortable.

“You taste so sweet, like brown sugar,” Kyungsoo growls and Jongin tries to lean up, searching for Kyungsoo’s face in the dark. He places his hands on soft cheeks and Kyungsoo flinches before he meets Jongin’s eyes in the dark. His breathing settles down and he gently pushes Jongin back down to lie on the bed, kissing his palm as a form of apology. Kyungsoo continues prepping Jongin but at a slower pace and more thoroughly.

“I’m ready, I want you in me,” Jongin breathes and he yelps when he’s flipped onto his stomach, Kyungsoo’s fingers twisting inside of him before they’re removed. Jongin hears the sound of the lube opening once more and the squelch of Kyungsoo’s hand moving up and down on his cock. Jongin’s eyes widen when he realizes he’d been on the receiving end of pleasure the whole and he promises that next time he’ll focus on Kyungsoo as well. _Next time_?

“Relax sugar,” Kyungsoo rubs comforting circles on Jongin’s hips as he begins to push himself in. Jongin immediately tenses up and he grips the satin sheets as Kyungsoo pauses, waiting for him to relax again before he continues pushing his way in. Kyungsoo makes him feel so hot and full, he didn’t even know what the other man’s cock looked like, but he knew it was big and when Kyungsoo finally bottomed out he was pleased with the curls of pubic hair against his ass.

“So hot, so perfect for me,” Kyungsoo speaks like he can’t help it and it makes Jongin swell with pride. They remain completely still for a moment, allowing Jongin to properly adjust to the length inside of him. After a moment Jongin pulls forward before pushing back and a content sigh escapes from his lips, these past few days have been torture and now he has what he’s wanted. Kyungsoo.

“Hold on tight sugar, I’m going to take you for a ride,” Jongin does as he’s told and Kyungsoo drags out his cock agonizingly slow before slamming right back in. A high pitched moan rips from Jongin’s lips and he had a feeling the man was deliberately ignoring his prostate during the prep session. His cockhead was driving right into Jongin’s prostate now, tingles becoming full blown pleasure as it’s stimulated heavily.

“Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo!” Jongin groans and he wants to tell the other man to slow down or else he’s going to cum again. But the pace is so deliciously rough, and he likes the way Kyungsoo’s grip moves from his hips to his ass cheeks, spreading them apart so that he can drive in deeper. Jongin looks over his shoulder and he wishes he could see Kyungsoo clearly, it’s much too dark. With a particularly hard thrust to his prostate Jongin jerks forward almost too sensitive as his body tries to escape the cock inside of him but Kyungsoo isn’t having any of that.

“Are you going to cum sugar? Are you going to cum on my cock?” Kyungsoo grits through his teeth and he pulls Jongin back onto his cock. He feels close but he wants to make sure Jongin reaches his peak first, he wants to see him squirm when the pleasure becomes too much. He reaches down and wraps his hand around Jongin’s neglected member, tugging on it to the rhythm of his thrusts.

“Kyungsoo harder!” Jongin can’t even stop his moans at this point, hips slamming back against Kyungsoo’s as well as moving forward to feel more of his hand. Everything feels amazing, Jongin jolts in surprise when the fireplace suddenly lights up and he moans loudly as he empties himself out onto the sheets. Kyungsoo doesn’t stop pumping him through his orgasm nor does he cease his thrusts and Jongin’s mind is running in circles as his body shudders in euphoria.

“Fuck Jongin,” he hears a low growl before he feels Kyungsoo’s cock pulsing inside of him, a burst of heat following afterwards. Jongin whines as he’s filled to the brim and Kyungsoo pulls out soon after, flipping him over to look down at him. Jongin takes a moment to take in Kyungsoo’s appearance, he looks so gorgeous with his sweaty hair and flushed cheeks. The flames create shadows that dance on his face.

“The fireplace?” Jongin questions with a hoarse voice, spent from all of his moaning. Kyungsoo runs his hand through Jongin’s hair affectionately, moving the strands away from his face. Jongin raises his hand and he places it on Kyungsoo’s cheek, looking deep into his eyes.

“I wanted to see your face when you came,” Kyungsoo answers honestly and Jongin’s too tired to figure out how he possibly lit the fireplace while being inside of him. Not to mention how it combusted into flame rather than steadily started. He has so many questions but he keeps getting distracted by Kyungsoo’s swollen lips, probably from biting them in the dark. Oh how he wished he could’ve been responsible.

Jongin tangles his fingers in Kyungsoo’s hair before pulling him down, wanting to taste those lips. Kyungsoo seems to hesitate, gripping his hand in warning, eyes dark as their lips remain centimetres apart. Jongin frowns and he leans forward only for Kyungsoo to lean back, frustrated he sighs and rests his head back onto the mattress.

“You don’t want to kiss me?” He’s sure his infamous pout will be able to sway Kyungsoo and he’s right because he hears a muttered curse before strong hands are grabbing his cheeks, lips pushing him into the sheets. A delighted sound erupts from Jongin’s throat and he kisses back with the same fervour. The kiss feels electric, it was everything he could’ve ever dreamed of. Kyungsoo’s lips are soft and his tongue is hot, tasting of wine.

The kiss takes his breath away and he feels light headed unable to pull away. With a hazy glimpse of glowing red eyes, Jongin falls back onto the bed. Unconscious.

 

Jongin wakes with a startle, his body jolting as he sits up in a hurry. He grits his teeth and hisses, hands reaching to hold his lower back that didn’t appreciate the sudden movement. He looks around the room and he sees nothing more than the dull bedroom he moved into. Floors no longer shiny, walls no longer painted, and bed no longer soft. He glances at his suitcase that lays splayed open on the ground and he sighs.

 _Had it all been a dream_?

He isn’t so sure at this point. It wasn’t like this loppy mattress didn’t leave his back aching in the morning. Jongin moves to turn off his blaring alarm and he makes his way to the washroom, albeit with a limp. There’s numerous things rushing through his mind at the moment. That night with Kyungsoo had been way too real, way too much to simply be a dream. He vaguely remembers the first night he met Kyungsoo, the next day he had marks on his neck.

Jongin’s face flushes as he remembers the tender kisses and marks Kyungsoo had surely left all over his neck and torso. He needs a shower anyhow. He quickly leaves his bedroom and heads towards the washroom, his breath held as he turns on the lights and looks at his reflection. Jongin is met with a tired face, dark circles and dull skin. Only then does he realize how exhausted he feels, almost drained.

Another thing he notices is that his clothes have changed. He wasn’t dressed in his work clothes he had no recollection of removing, nor was he dressed in something foreign. Instead he was wearing a large white t shirt and some loose shorts. He didn’t remember dressing himself. But these clothes were his own, and if Kyungsoo wasn’t real or he was only in the other apartment how did he dress Jongin? He shakes his head free of confusing thoughts and removes his shirt.

Jongin’s eyes travel over the expanse of his golden skin and he sees… nothing. There’s not a single mark. His skin looks exactly how it always does. Jongin feels his heart sting and he knows that Kyungsoo is just a dream after all but for some reason… he feels empty.

 

Work had been a complete drag. The students could sense that he was off today and thankfully they quieted down, although he felt bad for not conversing with them much despite it being his first week as their teacher. Jongin drives home early, only staying back a few hours to do some paperwork to fully integrate himself into the system. He feels tired and he wants nothing more than sleep. Food was also the last thing on his mind and he hadn’t eaten all day and it was already 6PM.

But there was undeniable hunger so Jongin reassured his rumbling tummy that he’d order food once he was home. Jongin drives up the lone road leading towards the Pink Palace and he parks in his usual spot, sighing as he reaches for his briefcase in the back. Jongin gets out of his car and he makes sure it’s locked before he trudges his way to his front door. The limp had gotten more bearable as the day went by, mainly thanks to the impromptu massage Youngjae forced on him.

Jongin can hear the old steps moaning beneath his weight and he unlocks his front door, stepping inside with a sigh. He removes his shoes and walks over to his study before putting down his briefcase. He has no intentions to any more work tonight. Then he heads upstairs and turns on the hallway lights as well as his bedroom light. Stripping of his constricting clothing before dressing in a t shirt and sweatpants.

Then he pads down the stairs barefoot, pausing for a second as he recalls the paintings decorating Kyungsoo’s walls. Maybe he should invest in some art work? Jongin sighs and he rubs his stomach that’s now crying for food. Once he steps on the main floor he hears it. A faint melody muffled by walls. It’s all too familiar and Jongin doesn’t know what to do. Stuck between rushing to a dream and staying in reality where it’s safe.

He doesn’t have to think for long because he hears knocking at his door. Almost too desperately Jongin turns the other way, ignoring Kyungsoo’s call. He pulls open his door quickly and he must seem frazzled because Youngjae and Daehyun are looking at him in shock. Jongin clears his throat and he regains his composure offering them both a tight smile. They’re both dressed casually, sweaters and sweatpants clad on their bodies.

“Hey Jongin, I was going to ask if you wanted to join us for dinner earlier but you left without a word,” Youngjae laughs lightly and Jongin’s thankful for his attempt at helping him relax. Jongin notices that the music has stopped and it reassures him that indeed, Kyungsoo was a dream. He was going to go crazy otherwise. Daehyun smiles at him and he gestures behind him,

“It’s a little chilly out, you might want to put on a sweater. Also, I made dinner so you don’t have to worry about food poisoning,” Jongin laughs at the comment and Youngjae’s jaw drop. He heads back into his house to grab a hoodie and he can hear Youngjae’s voice from his bedroom, shrill and high pitched in disbelief. Daehyun on the other hand is still laughing, tone warm and Jongin can assume he’s getting hit because of the cries of pain.

With a glance to the parlor he heads out with Daehyun and Youngjae, locking his door behind him. It’s cold, much colder than he’d expected since he had paid too much attention when he was heading home. Jongin follows the down the stairs and he enters their warm apartment with his tummy growling. Daehyun hurries to the kitchen to prepare while Youngjae tells him to get comfortable while he sets the table.

Jongin doesn’t feel right waiting for them to serve him but then again, there’s only them three anyhow so Youngjae doesn’t need much help setting the table. Daehyun on the other hand simply carries over a large pot and when he sets it down Jongin recognizes it to be samgyetang. The smell is a blessing to his senses and he already feels energized from the scent alone. Youngjae grins at his reaction and he leans over while Daehyun is getting the rice.

“Daehyun saw how tired you were so he cooked this for you,” Youngjae informs him and he acts like nothing happened when Daehyun returns to the table. Jongin feels affection swelling in his chest and he can hardly believe how lucky he is, having neighbours who care so much about him. He wasn’t sure when they’d be considered friends since they were not only neighbours but co workers as well. He wishes his friendship with Sehun was this smooth, he’d have to talk to him more if it was mutual.

“Thank you so much, oh and by the way, Yongguk-sshi told me something interesting the other day,” Jongin sees the way Daehyun visibly tenses at the mention of the Biology teachers’ name. Youngjae on the other hand doesn’t say much at all and he wordlessly gestures for Jongin to continue as he plops down chicken leg into his bowl, he gives the other leg to Jongin.

“He mentioned something about an incident in town?” Jongin asks as he spoons some rice and broth into his mouth, it tastes amazing. Daehyun sighs while Youngjae seems completely nonchalant about the whole thing, as if he knew Jongin was going to ask about it at some point. He takes a hearty bite out of the chicken leg and munches deliciously, swallowing before he looks at Jongin.

“It’s a small town, not much happens and when something does people talk for years. There was only one so called incident I can think of that happened about 15 years ago? It wasn’t that serious,” Youngjae starts off and it’s clear he wants to ease any worries Jongin has. He thinks for a moment, piecing together the story in his head before deciding that he’s just going to tell it how he remembers it.

“There was a musician who lived here. He was well loved since he was the only talent anyone had seen in years. Sang at the local bar, held little busking sessions in the town square, he was the real deal and he lived in the Pink Palace.” Jongin blinks. There really had been a number of people in and out of the Pink Palace, it was 150 years old after all. Jongin puts down his chopsticks to listen more intently.

“Then he stopped performing. No one ever saw him and he stayed cooped up in his house. No one even saw him leave to buy food. He became a complete ghost,” Jongin doesn’t appreciate Youngjae’s word choice, the word springing right up his spine uncomfortably. Youngjae doesn’t seem to notice and he continues,

“Some say he went crazy while others say he caught some kind of mysterious illness. Then one day he completely vanished. His furniture, clothes, car, everything was still there but he was nowhere to be seen, till this day people don’t know what happened,” Jongin can’t understand any reason why a beloved musician would do that to himself. As a dancer he wanted to share his gift, maybe it wasn’t the same? Youngjae looks directly into Jongin’s eyes and they both stare at one another quietly,

“He was the last person to live in the middle suite before you.”

 

Peaches - In The Valley Below

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, IT'S FINALLY DONE OMFG
> 
> Gosh I'm so so sorry for taking so long ;A; this is probably my favourite story atm so I pressure myself to do it right LOL
> 
> That smut tho... we're gonna ignore that aha
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me <3
> 
> Feel free to leave me a comment ;D I'll try and plan the next update soon, I've got some school stuff coming up as well as you guessed it, fests aha I'm currently in two of em


	6. Desire

After taking a quick shower Jongin finds himself lying down in his bed. He had opted to wear a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt since the house wasn’t well insulated and the cold managed to seep through the worn walls anyhow. Truthfully he liked to sleep with as little clothes as possible since he had a tendency to sweat while he slept but he’d have to make an exception until the warmer weather arrived it seemed.

Even though he lies there with the intention to sleep, his mind is running in circles and keeping him wide awake. His thoughts are so loud he can feel them channelling a headache and he wishes he could stop but he just couldn’t. Youngjae’s words were so loud inside of his head, Jongin had never been fond of creepy tales and this was definitely one of them. How did someone just _disappear_?

Where could he have gone if he left everything behind? It made no sense but then again that was probably why it was considered a mystery he guessed. Jongin sighs and he wraps himself in the duvet, uncaring of the water droplets fresh on his hair that were now seeping through his pillowcase and into his pillow. He’d have to get a new one anyhow. Jongin purses his lips and he thinks for a moment, a musician who was loved yet disappeared.

It was odd. And what Jongin didn’t like about the story was that all of the furniture left in the home was that musicians’. Or at least he was pretty sure of that. There wasn’t much left, aside from the few bookshelves and all of the keys stuffed in that drawer in the kitchen. It didn’t make him feel very comfortable knowing that this bed and these linens could have been shared with a now presumably dead man.

Jongin shakes his head, laughing at himself for being so dramatic. Could this incident be connected to the reason why he had so many dreams about Kyungsoo? Jongin honestly couldn’t make any other connection other than the fact that Kyungsoo usually “called” him through faint music playing in the little doorway. The more he thought about the scary stories and Kyungsoo the more his head hurt.

So he decided to move on to another thought… although he was still unable to leave Kyungsoo. Instead he thought of their passionate night together. Jongin scoffs at his own choice of words, could it be described as passionate? He wasn’t so sure. It felt more like a quick fuck if anything but the way that Kyungsoo spoke to him was what was keeping him from thinking so. Kyungsoo had thoroughly taken care of him last night and it felt so real in his memory.

Everything that had happened between him and Kyungsoo might’ve just been a dream or a delusion but Jongin could still feel every touch and he could still hear every whisper, every timbre of Kyungsoo’s voice deep inside of his chest. Jongin’s eyes fell closed and he positioned himself so that he was lying on his back. His bottom lip trapped itself between his teeth and he took a deep breath as he let one hand trail along his exposed abdomen where his muscle shirt had ridden up.

His night with Kyungsoo had been dark, and so it wasn’t too difficult to remember how it felt, after all Jongin had been solely focused on touch and smell. The smell hadn’t been the most pleasant thing, after all sex was mainly sweat and bodily fluids but throughout it all there had been the comforting scent that Kyungsoo naturally carried, deep like cherries but fresh like pine or spruce, not that Jongin knew the difference.

He continues to allow his hands to wander, just like how Kyungsoo had as though he didn’t know where he wanted to start touching Jongin. It made Jongin’s heart flutter, that he was desired like so. Jongin pushes aside his questions about Kyungsoo just for a little while, he wanted to savour this dream a little longer. His lips fall open when he reaches past the waistband of his shorts, gripping onto his heated member a little stronger than he’d initially wanted.

Jongin winces and relaxes his grip, his legs spreading naturally as he begins to stroke himself. The slide is a little dry and it doesn’t feel that great just yet but he uses the memory of Kyungsoo’s deep voice to coax him along. There was something about Kyungsoo that was so intense, from the words he spoke to the way he looked at Jongin like he was a meal. It made Jongin feel vulnerable in ways he’d never imagined.

Jongin whines as he picks up the pace, precum leaking from his tip almost too quickly, it was crazy how the thought of Kyungsoo was enough to make him aroused like this. Jongin pants and he nothing more than to remove his shorts altogether but at the same time he doesn’t feel comfortable exposing himself in this home yet. It didn’t feel like his own just yet. Jongin squirms and he slows down to avoid blowing too early,

_“You’re doing so well for me sugar, look how pretty you are,”_

He wants to be even more pretty, he wants to be the prettiest if it means Kyungsoo would praise him like that. Jongin gives in to his desires and he kicks off his shorts, leaving them abandoned at the end of his bed without a care. Jongin pulls up his muscle shirt so that he can bite on the hem, leaving his chest bare so that he could use his free hand to toy with his nipples like Kyungsoo had the other night.

_“Just a little more sugar, you’re almost there aren’t you?”_

Jongin nods and he whimpers into the damp cloth between his teeth, his eyes screwed shut tightly as he desperately tries to reach his peak. Jongin can feel himself coming embarrassingly fast but he can’t find it in his hazed mind to care. Jongin begins to twitch and he arches his back, his head sinking deeper into his pillow as he lets out a loud moan. His hips jerk as he releases his load onto his abdomen.

_“I’ll have to punish you for playing without me sugar, all of your pleasure belongs to me,”_

Jongin breaks out of his afterglow in a heartbeat and he sits up in shock, his eyes open wide as they dart around the room. No doubt he was still in his sad and barely furnished home but for some reason a chill ran up his spine as if he was being watched by someone. Jongin breathes heavily and he looks down at his body, groaning at the mess he made even though he was freshly showered.

He ignores the nagging voice in the back of his mind and he gets out of bed, throwing off his muscle shirt as well. Jongin makes his way to the washroom, a yawn ripping from his throat as he blindly searches for the package of baby wipes he used for multiple reasons. They were always good for a quick wipe down after the gym (not that he went anymore) or after dance. Of course they were no replacement for an actual shower but they worked.

Jongin tosses the used wipes and he stumbles back towards his room. The house is quiet for once and he scrunches his nose, his lips forming a pout as he closes his bedroom door and dives into his bed. He was feeling a little hot so it wouldn’t hurt to sleep without his clothes for tonight right? Jongin was too tired to care anyways.

 

“Okay everyone, before we officially begin the Jazz unit we’ll be doing some freestyle,” Jongin says to his students the next day. They’re all sitting on the floor, some are cross legged while others sprawl their long or short limbs all over the dance floor. The dance classroom was separated into two parts, the larger portion of it was a studio while the other portion was a normal classroom.

“This is also a chance for me to see what styles of dance you may already prefer. I want you to let yourself go as you listen to the music. I want you to close your eyes and move. Also I know  not everyone here is interested in dance or has a dance background but I want you guys to try as well,” Jongin explains and he already knew which students probably only ended up in his class because the other arts classes were full.

He wasn’t exactly sure which subject was more popular but he knew that Daehyun and Youngjae were already known to the students at this academy. That by default often lead students to choosing Art, Drama or Music over Dance which was taught by a new face. Jongin shakes his head and he hopes that he can help his students enjoy this class rather than having them feel as though it was a complete waste of time. Two arts credits were mandatory for high school graduation after all.

“Mr. Kim may you demonstrate for us please?” a meek girl sitting in the front row huddled up close to who Jongin guessed was her best friend lifted her hand. She seemed genuinely afraid about the whole thing and Jongin felt apologetic but if she was going to perform with them in the year end performance the first step would be getting used to her class. Of course if she talked to him privately about other reasons he’d make exceptions where he could.

“Of course… Yeri, I’ll demonstrate. See if you can point out which styles of dance I use,” Jongin says to his class and he walks over to the small sound system in the corner, patting himself on the back mentally for remembering his student’s name. He’d never truly danced in front of his students before, not finding the time to since he was busy getting the class together. Jongin connects his phone to the aux cord and searches for the vibe he was feeling today. Jongin decides to play something by Jay Park, wanting a sensual mood right now.

Jongin decides to play Feature ft. Cha Cha Malone and he prays that no one in his class is an expert at english because the lyrics were more than sexual. He’d have to control his movements a little more, but then again Jongin’s dance style has always edged on elegant with a hint of sexy. Jongin closes his eyes as the song begins and he begins to sway to the vocal ad libs sprinkled into the introduction.

 

_Alright alright baby you’re the baddest_

_And you got me worked up ready to be a savage to ya_

_I’ve been waiting patiently for you to take it off_

_I know you didn’t come just to drink all of my cabernet_

 

All Jongin can think of is Kyungsoo. How Kyungsoo had greeted him these past nights, always nonchalant yet oddly eager to see him as if he’d been waiting all along. The image is dyed in a deep pink in his mind and he carries himself with the music, not bothering to focus on how he uses his body. Instead he focuses on how he’d like Kyungsoo to use his body. How Kyungsoo had touched him in so many ways, as if he was playing out Jongin’s spots for the next time.

 

_Once we get started I can go on and on_

_And you’ll be hitting all them high notes featuring on my song_

_And it’s like duh duh duh doo_

_Me and you are music making duh duh duh doo_

_Sexual collaboration_

 

Thinking about Kyungsoo is going to drive him insane he feels. Jongin tries to focus on something else, his passions and what it’d taken for him to get to this point in his life. How he’d gone from performing as a professional dancer in the midst of the bustling city to a humble dance teacher in a rural town. Jongin frowns when he remembers all of the unanswered text messages and emails he’d gotten, how worried his family was about him.

As if something had shattered Jongin stops. His arms fall to his sides lifelessly and his feet stutter, his shoes scuffing against the dull floorboards. Jongin pants heavily and he hadn’t been paying attention to his movements at all, unable to tell just how much energy he’d used. He runs his hand through his sweaty hair and pushes the locks back before he looks at his students. They’re all staring at him. Not only that but their faces were more than flushed, even the boys couldn’t look him in the eye. Jongin clears his throat and turns off the music,

“So who wants to go first?”

 

“Jongin-ah, do you mind staying back with us for a bit? We wanted to talk to you about the year end play,” Youngjae says to him the moment he enters the Arts department staffroom. Jongin blinks and he sits down at his desk. Usually at the end of the day he’d have a brief conversation with the two before heading back home, ready to destress and avoid people for the rest of the day. He was thankful they didn’t discuss work related things when they weren’t at the academy though.

“Would you like to look through what the academy has performed before? We can always revisit old topics if it’s been over a decade,” Daehyun hands Jongin a leather bound book, it looks quite old and definitely well used. Jongin opens it and he sees that it’s actually a scrapbook, meticulously put together for some years, while others were a bit more lazy. Every page carried a different year, a different play that were presented with pictures and little summaries.

“I was thinking about it last night actually and what if he created a play based on the infamous town incident? Of the musician who lived in the Pink Palace,” Jongin suggests and he positions himself so that he’s sitting cross legged on the creaky office chair. Youngjae and Daehyun pause for a moment, thinking about the idea before they glance at each other and back at Jongin. It was a little freaky how in sync they were sometimes.

“That would be a good storyline for a play but are you sure Jongin? You do live in the middle suite after all, wouldn’t that make you uncomfortable?” Daehyun has a look of concern on his face and Jongin feels warmth in his chest. These two have really taken care of him during his time here and he’s thankful for that. Honestly, Jongin wouldn’t mind learning more about the incident. After all, it already occupied 25% of his thoughts currently. The other 75% was definitely about Kyungsoo.

“I’m open to learning more about the so called history of my middle suite, we could probably dig into a thing or two about the Pink Palace too. It’s been around for over 150 years right?” Youngjae nods slowly at this, his index nail between his teeth as he bites down on them his dimples showing in his cheeks. Daehyun looks at him and pushes his hand down with a stern look on his face.

“Sounds good, we can brainstorm about it now that we have an idea. We’ll figure out the era and style of music, dance and art later,” Youngjae scribbles down something on a notepad as he speaks and Jongin was perfectly fine with that. Right now all he wanted to do was maybe pick up some groceries for dinner though. He hadn’t been eating very well lately, or much at all to be honest. Jongin stands and he puts on his jacket before grabbing his briefcase.

“I’ll see you two later,” Jongin waves to them both, rolling his eyes playfully when they harmonize their goodbye’s. He makes his way out of the academy well enough. By now he was used to all of the weird walkways and staircases but then again if he was told to go to any other department he’d get lost in an instant. Jongin takes the easy route to the parking lot and he waves to a couple of his students before he gets into his car and begins driving to the grocery store.

Although he wanted some good hearty food he also wasn’t really in the mood to make anything extravagant so when he arrives in the near empty parking lot he’s quick to enter and exit the grocery mart. Jongin decides that some fried chicken and rice was enough to make him happy. The road home was lonely as usually, there weren’t many cars that drove towards the Pink Palace and everyone who would be driving out was already gone.

Jongin parks his car and he sees how empty it is. Sehun was a mystery to him so he didn’t know where the other man was, while he knew that Daehyun and Youngjae were still at the academy. They both had their own cars which they took separately since their schedules varied. Jongin gets out of his car, hauling a plastic bag behind him as he slugs up towards his door. The old wooden door moans as he pushes it open and steps inside, letting it slam shut behind him.

He’s absent minded as he tosses the ingredients in the fridge. It was only about 4:27PM and he definitely wasn’t in the mood for an early dinner on a Friday night. If anything Jongin was glad he brought all of the alcohol he had in his previous place. Once everything’s put away Jongin thinks that he needs some fresh air. He can’t help but stare at the little door that peeks out from the open doorway in the parlor.

Jongin remembers that there was a door in the kitchen that lead directly to the garden’s gates this time so he steps outside and he shuts the door gently behind him, not bothering to lock it. But then he realizes that he doesn’t have any shoes kept back here so he has to go back inside and through the house, grabbing his sneakers before he removes his socks and tosses them aside. He doesn’t like those damned things but at work he pretty much had to have socks on for safety reasons.

After stepping out of the house with proper footwear this time Jongin begins heading down the cobblestone walkways that lead to the garden. The metal gate is as heavy as he remembers and pushing it open takes more of an effort than he’d have liked. Jongin shoves his hands into his pockets, suddenly feeling thankful that he was under the same protocol as the Physical Education teachers, so that meant he didn’t have to wear fancy dress shirts and slacks all the time.

The way down towards the orchard is the same as before. His shoes scuffle across the dirt and he takes a second to actually admire the orchard and it’s remains. Last time he’d only gotten a glimpse but now he wondered if the musician liked to walk up towards the hill as well. Jongin had only been there for a minute the other day but the air was different there, it felt oddly isolated from the rest of the world.

The faint scent of sour fruit laces the wind and Jongin breathes in deeply. Now that Autumn was slowly beginning to decay their part of the world he noticed that the vibrancy of the trees were no longer there. They hadn’t changed so drastically to the point that the leaves were withered and littering the ground however the bright green leaves were now dull. Jongin hurries through, wanting to reach the top of the hill already.

Once again when he arrives there’s already someone else there. Jongin doesn’t want to be rude but he also wanted to have some alone time for once. Baekhyun waves at him enthusiastically with a puppy like grin on his face. Jongin smiles at the teen and approaches casually. Not once had they ever run into each other at the academy but then again Baekhyun did say he hadn’t taken dance and Jongin was huddled away in the dance studio majority of the time.

“Hello Mr. Kim! How are you today?” Baekhyun asks with that same chipper tone of his and as Jongin gets closer he sees that indeed Baekhyun had his weird flute again today. Was it normal for Baekhyun to go out of his way to play his flute at the top of this hill Jongin wondered. He doesn’t realize that he’s let Baekhyun’s greeting go over his head until he notices the hand waving in front of his face, Baekhyun had really nice hands.

“This is my ocarina, my grandmother gave it to me when I first moved here,” Baekhyun explains and he holds out the ocarina for Jongin to look at. His grip never wavering on the instrument in order to state that he was allowed to look but touching it was out of the question. Jongin inspects it for a quick second before Baekhyun tucks it close to his body. A gust of wind passes by them and Jongin shivers as it goes right through his thin jacket.

“So you weren’t born here? Do you happen to know anything about the musician who went missing-?”

“ _Stolen_. He was stolen,” Baekhyun cuts him off and corrects him with a frown. Jongin freezes, stunned by the sudden hostility in a usually cheerful teen. Jongin doesn’t know what to say and thankfully Baekhyun doesn’t seem to expect him to, standing up from the tree stump before he begins walking off towards the dirt hills off to the east. The sound of Baekhyun’s name being called fills the empty air and Baekhyun turns to look at Jongin with a smile,

“Bye now, Mr. Kim,” Jongin watches as Baekhyun lifts his ocarina to his lips and he begins playing the same tune he’d played the other day when they first met. Baekhyun slowly climbs the hill before he disappears over the horizon, the song of his flute becoming one with the wind the further he got. Jongin doesn’t hesitate to turn back to the Pink Palace and he walks down the hill as quickly as he can.

He rushes through the orchard and doesn’t even pay attention to Youngjae and Daehyun who are doing some kind of vlogging in the garden. Ignoring their greetings and calls of his name Jongin enters his apartment and removes his shoes. He needs Kyungsoo, he wants Kyungsoo. To his relief there is a faint melody playing from the parlor and Jongin feels a whimper rip from his throat when he sees that the door is already open for him.

He misses Kyungsoo.

 

Desire - Do As Infinity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAHAHA ahhh I hate this chapter  
> Feature as you saw is by Jay Park Ft. Cha Cha Malone :D it's my one of my favourite sensual songs and Baekhyun's Ocarina is very much inspired because of Zelda LOL mainly the song for the Lost Woods  
> This story will be coming to an end soon? I'm not sure how far I want to take it yet, there may be like 3 more chapters max?


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